Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition: Looks like we're the grognards, now.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition: Looks like we're the grognards, now.

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Rexides posted:

For me the biggest change is that in MM3 powers are grouped by action (standard, move etc), which is a far better format than the one in MM1, so I don't know what people's problem is

Yeah, this. MM1 stat blocks had things buried in odd places or not 100% clear. It's super easy to just kind of forget a triggered ability or what came to be known as auras because they're all jammed up with other information.

Although, I agree the later editions suffer a little from not wanting to break kayfabe on the monsters.

In fact, I would say that one of the prime reasons why 4e never became a Magic style success was that there is this weird disinclination to get down and dirty, and talk design decisions and mechanics when the designers aren't talking about characters.

If there had been an actual discourse on designing monsters and combat encounters, like Magic has managed to grow around TCG design, maybe the mistakes would have been fixed quicker/never happened.

What I would have given for a weekly column just taking a type of monster out of the Monster Manual and dissecting its design, rationale, and how to make encounters revolving around them.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2014 11:58

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 08:44

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Torquemadras posted:

Oh, cool. Gonna check those out, then. I'm a big fan of horrendously bloody encounters, and (probably as a direct result) my players tend to use every chance to rest they can get. That's how they could afford throwing out tons of healing surges every encounter. If I make individual battles more violent AND punish frequent rests, that should put even the cleric on the ropes...
I totally see what you mean, though. I used one MM1 monster, a rotting corpse (?), that shot from a distance and greatly reduced attack rolls as an aura directly around it. The result: the melee fighters surround it, monster slaps them with weak melee attacks, nobody hits it due to the aura, everybody hates the thing. Booooh. Let's see what MM3 has.

Uuuuuh... NADS = Nearest Active Damage Source? As I said, the fighter frequently forgot his mark, so the character with the most stopping power was the warlord and his poleaxe; otherwise, I made the enemies rush the cleric and the warlock, unless they've been seriously wounded by somebody else. My players usually spent all their healing surges in battle, since the cleric gave them so many chances to heal, and during the mop-up of the last few enemies there are plenty chances for the cleric to grant healing and do nothing else.

...I have a feeling I should REALLY punish frequent resting.

Check out the Monster Vault for the best of MM1 and 2 redone according to the MM3 guidelines.

Another Monster fix is to always have a soldier monster mark like a fighter as standard, this would have been a cross the rule books change from MM3 onwards but it was opposed by Grogs, so some soldiers mark but others don't, make em' all do it, plus it reminds the fighter to mark as well.

# ¿ Jun 27, 2014 11:53

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

I'm thinking of running a Gamma World game, are there any pitfalls, traps, or things I should otherwise know before I start GMing it?

# ¿ Sep 25, 2014 08:53

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Majuju posted:

Not exactly. The last couple of iterations of D&D Miniatures were modified versions of the game rules that used more static values to try and cut down on dice rolling, for instance. This is a card from the 3.5 D&D Miniatures game:

There's actually a whole lot of stuff still going on here, even though this is a very straightforward card, so Wizards came up with Dungeon Command, which were pre-packaged skirmish warbands and tiles, where the cards look like this:

The system is completely diceless and works on the modular dungeon tiles included with the warbands. Both of them are pretty cool but I've never actually had a chance to play either one!

Notably Rob Heinsoo had a strong hand in 3.5 Miniatures game.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2014 05:35

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Has anyone been playing Cardhunter?

You know how everyone says why didn't they make a 4e video game?

I've been playing card hunter and it's got a lot of similarities with 4e combat in that it has a lot of pushes and slides, except it doesn't have ability scores and the at-wills, encounters, and dailies are balanced by rarity in your deck. Also like 4e its all about the PvE because the PvP kind of stinks.

# ¿ Oct 28, 2014 23:43

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 08:44

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

For those interested Chroma Squad is out and has a 4e style combat system. Probably the most 4e in feel computer game yet released.

# ¿ May 3, 2015 05:22

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